Prison-door starter



Nov. 9 1926.

. D. F. YOUNGBLOOD PRISON noon s-rm'mn, BUFFER, AND INDICATOR Filed August 10, 192? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR pmamm md WITNESSES ATTORNEY Nov. 9 1926.

D. F. YOUNGBLOOD PRISON D003 STARTER; BUFFER, AND INDICATOR Filed August 10, 1926 lillll/ll 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fil 11114 1000?; NYEFTQR ATTORNEY WITNESSES CX P Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

UETED STATES DAVID FRANKLIN" YOUNGBLOOD, OF SAN ANTQNIO, TEXAS.

PRISON-DOOR STARTER, BUFFER, AND INDICATOR.

Application filed August 10, 1926.

This invention relates to a mechanism used in jails and prisons having rows of cell doors operated by mechanism from the outside of the cage. In most large prisons there are usually several cell doors in one line all capable of being operated from a single point outside of the cage. As it is not always practicalnor advantageous to operate the doors from a point in front of them so that the operator may see into the front of the cells, and as it is impossible for the person operating the doors from the end of a line of a plurality thereof to see whether the doors at the opposite end of the line are in a closed or open position, it becomes highly desirable to provide means which will indicate the position of each door, that is to say whether it is open or closed. In cases where there are long lines of cell doors to be operacted, if it were desired to open or close all at one time, the inertia, working against the starting of the doors, would render it difficult for the operator to start the movement to either closed or open position. Furthermore, when the doors have been started and move either to open or closed position, the momentum or impetus thereof causes them to slam violently against the jamb or stop.

It is with the above facts in view that I have designed the present invention which has for its general object the provision of means for indicating the position of the doors in combination with means for assisting starting and checking or buffing the shock at the end of the movement of the doors to either position.

An important object is the provision of a mechanism of this character which is capable of application to or use in conjunction with door operating mechanisms of different kinds, the structure being particularly adaptable for use in connection with the door control mechanism disclosed in Patent No. 1,2693% granted to me on June 11th, 1918, there being, however, no limitation in this respect.

A more specific object is to provide a mechanism of this character embodying a plurality of indicators located in or upon a panel in front of the operator so that he may ascertain at a glance exactly which doors are open and which are closed.

Another object is the provision of a mechanism embodying a plurality of springs soarranged with respect to coacting parts as to Serial No. 128,502.

be placed under compression when the respectlve doors approach the end of their movement in opening or closing, the energy thus stored up being subsequently used, upon release or operation of whatever means is provided, to assist in starting the doors when it is desired to move them from one position to the other, the spring means consequently exercising a double function.

Another object is the provision of a com bined indicating, bufiing and starting means of this character capable of being applied to an already existing door operating mechanism as well as forming a part of entirely new equipment.

A still further object is the provision of a mechanism of this character which is entire- 1y automatic in its action and which will consequently give an infallible indication as to the door positions, except of course in the event of breakage of the parts.

An additional object is the provision of a mechanism of this character which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive to ter of the invention beingshown mostly in elevation but partly in section, the enclosing housing therefor being in section.

Figure 2 is a substantially a similar view of the last cell in a row with the door therefor shown in closed position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the housing for the mechanism showing the mechanism in plan.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section taken on the line H of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on substantially the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a face view of the panel for the indicators, and

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken onthe line 7-7 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a jail cell having the usual doorway 11 adapted to be closed by a door 12 hung from rollers 13 capable of travelling upon a track 14 which is of suiiicient length to permit sliding of the door between the closed and open position thereof. Such an arrangement is common in jail and prison construction and needs no particular description, though generally there are several cells in a row and the doors thereof are adapted to be moved simultaneously, if desired, from one end of the line. It will be observed that I have shown the first and last doors, It is conceivable that the invention, to be described, might be capable of application to swinging doors, therefore it is not to be considered as confined to sliding doors although for simplicity of description and illustration a showing of swinging doors'has been omitted. Doors of this type have associated therewith some sort of mechanism for 'moving them from open to closed position and vice versa, as well as some suitable means for selectively effecting locking in either open or closed position. All of these details form no part of the present invention and are neither illustrated nor described. The operating, selecting and locking means may conveniently be that disclosed in theaboveanentioned Patent No. 1,269,244 but the invention is not dependent upon the details therein. Whatever mechanism is provided preferably includes a casing 15 located above the door or row of doors for enclosing all the moving parts, the housing being of course slotted at its bottom for the accommodation or passage of the door hangers 16. In the drawings I have illustrated the two endmost cells and doors and it should be understood that there may be any desired number in a row, the inventionbeing equally applicable regardless of the number.

In a mechanism such as that disclosed in the above mentioned patent there is provided an operating means for the cell doors and selecting means whereby any one or more of the cell doors may be unlocked and opened, or. left open when the master mechanism operates to close and lock the others. In the drawings I have illustrated only a portion of such selecting means here represented as including a suitably pivoted angle lever 17 operatively connected with locking means, not shown, and also having a pin and slot connection with a turnbuckle 18 connected at one end with a rod 19 slidable through a bracket 20 within which is mounted a spring 21 which'normally acts to hold the rod 19 at one limit of its movement and to return it to such after movement in the other direction.

Connected with the other end of the turn buckle is a yoke 23 formed or secured upon a rod orplunger 24 slidable through a guide bracket 25 within the housing 15. There must of course be a rod or plunger 24 for each door in the row and these rods extend into a vertically arranged housing 26 at the end of the row of cells and incident-ally at the end of the housing 15. As there are sixteen of such rods shown, they are preferably arranged in upper and lower tiers owing to the limited width of the panel forming the front of the housing 26. The far ends of the rods in the upper tier or row are offset downwardly at 40 to be in the same plane as those in the lower tier.

lVithin this housing 26 are located links 27 and 27 pivotally connected at 28 and 28 with the rods 24- in the upper and lower tiers respectively and, in turn, pivoted upon a transverse rod or shaft 29 which extends through frame bars 30 forming part of the housing 26. Pivotally connected with the respective links 27 and 27, as shown at 31, are horizontally arranged levers 32 which project through suitable slots in the housing 26 and which are notched at their undersides as shown at for engagement with the lower ends of the slots for maintaining them in inwardly pressed position. These levers 32 terminate in handles 3% which are numbered, as indicated in Figure 6, to correspond with the numbers of the cells, there being sixteen in the present instance. This structure is part of the selecting mechanism and the respective rods or plungers 2% are operable, by means of the levers 32, for releasing the locking mechanism for any desired cell door or doors so that it or they may be opened by the mechanism provided for the purpose, such mechanism being, however, not illustrated as a clear understanding of one structure capable of performing the action may be had from an inspection of the above-mentioned patent.

In carrying out the invention I provide, near the track for each door, a double ended lever 35 suitably pivoted intermediate its ends as upon a post 36 or the like. The lower end of this lever carries a laterally projecting pin 37 disposed in the path of travel of a bracket 38 secured. to the carriage within or uponwhich the rollers 18 are mounted. The upper end of the lev-r 35 carries a laterally projecting pin 39 passing through a rod or plunger 40 and through a slot 41 in the yoke 23. There are of course as many rod members 10 as there are cell doors and these elements are slidable through the guide bracket 25 and also through housings 4-2 within that end of the housing 15 ad acent the housing 26. The members 40 are shown as located beside the rods 2% and project entirely across the housing 26 and through the front wall or panel 43 thereof, the projecting ends carrying buttons 4A or the like hearing numbers corresponding to the numbers of the cells.

Located within the housings 42 are coil springs 45 through which the rods 24 and 40 extend. Certain of the springs abut against one end of the housing, while others abut against an angle iron 46, and all abut against enlargements 47 on the rod members or plungers 40, these springs acting normally to hold the members 40 in projected or extended position. This constitutes one portion of the combined shock absorbing or bufiing mechanism and the starting assisting means. The other portion of this means is shown as comprising a barrel 48 mounted, for instance, between stationary brackets 49 secured upon one side of the housing 15, this barrel containing a coil spring 50 through which extends a pin 51 slidable through the brackets and carrying an abutment such as the transverse member 52 engaging against one end of the spring.

In the operation of the device, let it be assumed that a cell door is in open position, as illustrated in Figure 1. The parts will then be in the position shown, the rod or plunger 40 for the particular door which is open being in projected position. The operator or attendant may then know at a glance that all of the doors except that one are closed. Regardless of how many doors may be open the corresponding number of plunger-s and buttons thereon will be in projected position with respect to the panel. When whatever means provided is then operated to close this open door, it will be seen that when the door approaches its nearly closed position the bracket 88 will engage against the pin 37 and swing the lever 35 into the position shown in Figure 2. l Vhen this occurs the rod or plunger 40 connected with the lever will be moved longitudinally inwardly with respect to the housings 15 and 26, the enlarged portion 48 acting then to compress the spring 47 engaged thereby. When the door then locks by whatever mechanism is provided the spring will be maintained under compression, useful energy being thus stored up. When it is desired to reopen the door, it is apparent the release of the locking mechanism therefor will permit the previously compressed spring 47 to expand, the energy being then applied to the enlargement 48 so that the member 40 will be forced into eX- tended or projected position. The outward longitudinal movement of the member 40 tends to swing the lever 35 upon its pivot 36 and as the pin 37 is in engagement with the bracket 38 on the door carriage pressure will be applied to the door in such manner as to assist in the opening thereof by tending to overcome the inertia.

When the door moves into open position, and when it approaches whatever stop may be provided for limiting the opening movement, the bracket 38 will engage against the pin 52 and move it longitudinally so that the spring 51 will be compressed. This spring remains in such condition as long as the door is open and when the operating aneans is set in motion for reclosing the door this spring will act to overcome the inertia and assist in starting. Obviously, the spring members 47 will act as cushioning or shock absorbing means to prevent Slamming of the door against its jamb when closing, while the spring 51 will act in a simila; manner to prevent violent impact of the door against its stop when moving to open position.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that have thus provided a mechanism which will not only indicate which of the cell doors in a row are open or closed but which will also operate to cushion shocks and jars at the end of movement in either direction and assist materially in facilitating the starting movement by partly overcoming either the inertia or the momentum, as the case may be. It is really believed that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily understood by one skilled in the art without further explanation.

l Vhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, 1

1. In combination with a movably mounted door, means positioned in the path of movement thereof in one direction and movable thereby, spring means, and means connected with said first named means and said spring means for placing the latter under compression for storing up energy, said spring means further acting as a shock absorber.

2. in combination with a movably mounted door, movable members mounted in the path of movement thereof in both directions, and spring means connected with and compressible by said movable members upon movement of the door in one direction for absorbing shock and storing energy for assisting movement of the door in the opposite direction.

3. In combination with a movably mounted door, means positioned in the path of movement thereof in one direction and movable thereby, spring means, means connected with said first named means and said spring means for placing the latter under compression for storing up energy, said spring means further acting as a shock abwhen the door moves in one direction, a

spring, a member connecting said lever with the spring for compressing the latter and storing up energy when the door moves in one direction, and an indicator carried by said member.

A combined indicating, shock absorbing and door starting means for a slidably mounted door, comprising a pivoted lever located in the path of movement of the door in one direction, a spring, means connected with the lever and the spring for compressing the latter when the "former is engaged by the door, said means being movable lone itudinally and serving an indicator as to the position of the door.

6. A combined indicating, shock absorbing and door starting means for a slidably mounted door, comprising a pivoted lever located in the path of movement of the door in one direction, a spring, means connected with the lever and the spring for compressing the latter when the former is engaged by the door, said means being movable longitudinally and serving as an indicator as to the position of the door, and a spring pressed pin mounted in the path of movement of the door in the opposite direction.

7. The combination with a series of slidably mounted doors, of a lever pivoted in the path-of movement of each door and movable thereby, a longitudinally movable member connected with the lever, an indicator panel through which said member is slidable, and a spring positioned to be compressed by movement of said member when the lever is swung in one direction, said spring acting as a shock absorber and serving to store energy for assisting starting movement of the door in the opposite direction.

8. The combination with. a series of slidably mounted doors, of a lever pivotally mounted and located in the path of movement of each door and movable thereby, a longitudinally movable member connected with each lever, an indicator panel through which all of said members are slidable, and door indicating means carried by said members at the panel.

9. The combination with a series of slidably mounted doors, of a lever pivotally mounted and located in the path of movement of each door and movable thereby, a longitudinally movable member connected with each lever, an indicator panel through which all of said members are slidable, a door indicating means carried by said members at the panel, and a spring member connected with each longitudinally movable member and normally holding the same at one limit of its movement, the spring member being compressible upon movement of the lever by thedoor to absorb the shock of the door movement and to store up energy for assisting starting movement of the door in the opposite direction.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed mysignature. DAVID FRANKLIN YOUNGBLOOD. 

